Cable television networks refer to communications networks that are used to transmit cable television signals and/or other information between one or more service providers and a plurality of subscribers over coaxial cables and/or fiber optic cables. Most conventional cable television networks comprise a completely fiber optic network (i.e. RFoG), a completely coaxial cable network or, most typically, a hybrid fiber-coaxial (“HFC”) network. In these hybrid networks, fiber optic cables are typically used to carry signals from the headend facilities of the service provider to various distribution points, while less expensive coaxial cable may be used, for example, to carry the signals into neighborhoods and/or into individual homes or other premises.
Typically, the service provider is a cable television company that may have exclusive rights to offer cable television services in a particular geographic area. The subscribers in a cable television network may include, for example, individual homes, apartments, hotels and other multi-dwelling units (“MDU”), businesses, and various other premises. The service provider may broadcast a broad variety of cable television channels to subscriber premises over the cable television network. In addition, the service provider may offer subscribers a variety of additional services such as, for example, movies-on-demand, broadband Internet service and/or digital telephone service that are provided via a single radio frequency (“RF”) connection over the cable television network.
Typically, downstream signals that are transmitted by a cable service provider to subscriber premises are carried in the 54-1002 MHz frequency band. These downstream signals may include, for example, the different tiers of cable television channels, movies on demand, digital telephone and/or Internet service (the signals received by the subscriber), and other broadcast or point-to-point offerings. The “upstream” signals from subscribers to the cable service provider are typically transmitted in the 5-42 MHz frequency band. These upstream signals may include, for example, digital telephone and/or Internet service (the signals transmitted by the subscriber) and ordering commands (i.e., for movies-on-demand and other services).
The RF signal from the service provider that is received at a typical subscriber premises may be on the order of approximately +5 dBmV/channel. This received RF signal may require amplification by an RF amplifier in order to properly service the various communication ports maintained by the subscriber. This amplification is typically provided by a signal amplifier that may be located, for example, at the service provider-subscriber demarcation point. The signal amplifier may comprise a forward path signal amplifier (i.e., an amplifier that amplifies signals from the service provider to the subscriber) and, in some cases, a second reverse path amplifier (i.e., an amplifier that amplifies signals from the subscriber to the service provider). These forward and reverse path amplifiers are typically coupled to a power divider network that divides the output of the forward path amplifier into multiple outputs and which combines multiple inputs from the subscriber premises (if any) into a single signal that is fed to the reverse path amplifier. The multiple outputs of the power divider network may be connected to coaxial cables that carry the signal from the service provider to various wall outlets throughout the subscriber premises. The subscriber may then connect televisions, cable modems, Internet phones and the like to these wall outlets.
An open, industry-driven initiative is ongoing that promotes the distribution of digital video and other multi-media entertainment content through the existing coaxial cable “network” that runs through most homes and other premises. An industry alliance known as the Multi-media Over Coax Alliance (“MOCA”) is in the process of developing standards which will specify frequency bands, interfaces and other parameters that will allow equipment from different standards-compliant vendors to be used to distribute multi-media content over in-home coaxial cable networks. Currently, MOCA content is to be carried through in-home coaxial cable networks in the 850 MHz to 1550 MHz frequency band, although since standard cable television signals are distributed at frequencies up to 1002 MHz, many cable television service providers have chosen to distribute MOCA content within a narrower frequency band that is above the cable television band, such as, for example, frequencies of 1150 MHz to 1550 MHz. Examples of MOCA content that may be distributed over an in-home coaxial cable network are digital television, video-on-demand programming and digitally-recorded television or music programming. In an exemplary application of MOCA, such programming may be transmitted via the coaxial cables that run through the walls of a home from a primary set-top box (which may be a relatively expensive, full service set top box having a digital television receiver, DVR and/or video-on-demand capabilities, etc.) to less capable, less expensive satellite set-top boxes that are installed on other televisions throughout the premises. In this manner, the full capabilities of the primary set top box may be enjoyed at all of the televisions within the residence without having to provide a primary set top box for each television.